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SUNY Oswego awarded nearly $7.4 million in merit scholarships this past academic year to incoming students who demonstrated an outstanding level of academic achievement. We offer many scholarships that are both merit and need-based to help students pursue higher education.

Merit Scholarships are awarded to incoming first-year and transfer students who have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence. Over 45% of entering first-year students received academic merit-based scholarship and awards in 2021, with an average renewable award of $4,000. All freshman awards are renewable for four years by maintaining requirements such as a minimum 3.00 GPA.

Please read the full scholarship policy page for additional information.

First-Year Scholarships

These scholarships, available in three monetary levels, are awarded to incoming first-year students who have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence with a strong record of classroom achievement in a challenging college preparatory curriculum. These scholarships are competitively awarded to the top 35-45% of students in the entering class. They are renewable for four years by maintaining a minimum 3.00 GPA.

Scholarship Amount
Presidential* $20,000* (4 years)
Dean $14,000 (4 years)
Merit $8,000 (4 years)

*Students entering in fall 2020 and after — $5,000 annually for on-campus students. Students entering in spring 2020 and prior — $5,000 annually for on-campus students; $2,500 per year for students living off-campus. See full scholarship policy for SUNY Oswego awards.

Transfer Achievement Scholarships

Full-time transfer students entering with a cumulative 3.30 GPA or higher and 24 college credits or more are eligible for a Transfer Achievement Scholarship. This award provides $1,000 for up to three consecutive years or upon graduation, whichever comes first. Recipients must maintain a 3.00 or higher cumulative GPA and full-time status at Oswego. The scholarship will not exceed $500 per semester. Transfer Achievement Scholarships awarded prior to 2021 are renewable for only one year consecutive to the initial award.

Destination Oswego Scholarship

These awards are available to first-year and transfer non-New York state residents and international students, who are not otherwise eligible for New York state tuition, and require full-time study. The award amount is $9,000 annually for up to four years. This award is in addition to merit-based aid opportunities. Requires on-campus housing and full-time status.

How to Apply

First-year and transfer students should complete their application for admission as early as possible. Those received before the Regular Decision deadline (Jan. 15 for fall term applicants and Nov. 15 for spring term applicants) will get first consideration for admission and awards. No additional scholarship forms are required for the scholarships listed above.

See full scholarship policy for SUNY Oswego awards.

Through New York State's Excelsior Scholarship program, a greater number of New York students and families will be eligible to earn free tuition at SUNY Oswego. The first-of-its-kind in the nation plan will be phased in over three years, beginning for New Yorkers making up to $100,000 annually in fall 2017 - spring 2018, increasing to $110,000 in fall 2018 - spring 2019, and reaching $125,000 in fall 2019 - spring 2020.

For more information or to apply, visit New York State’s Higher Education Services Corporation's (HESC) Excelsior Scholarship page.

The Nunzio “Nick” C. and Lorraine E. Marano Scholarships annually fund 62 awards of $5,000 each for first-generation students with financial need. Marano Scholars awards are renewable as long as the student maintains a 3.0 GPA. The endowed scholarships, first presented in 2017, are part of the Scriba family’s generous bequest, the largest-ever gift to the college. Due to graduations and grade requirements, each year the award becomes available to approximately 15 to 20 students.

SUNY Oswego Foundation Scholarships, supporting outstanding students, are funded by generous donors. Awards are available for students interested in particular fields of study, are members of underrepresented groups, possess exceptional talent in the arts or display significant financial need, among other possibilities. Applications are online.

Incoming freshman and transfer students admitted for the fall term are automatically considered for scholarships, and cannot apply for foundation scholarships.

The Possibility Scholars program makes an exceptional academic program available for freshman applicants to Oswego’s fall term. This scholarship program transforms the lives of student scholars and sets them on a trajectory to meet both individual achievement goals and humanity’s need for knowledge to conquer pressing global challenges. Through the generosity of leading donors, we deliver personal and financial assistance to students who face significant barriers to attending college. By integrating three transformational learning experiences, it is among the most comprehensive educational opportunities offered in the region.

When combined with existing need-based aid, Possibility Scholars will receive a full-ride scholarship worth more than $20,000 per year, enabling scholarship recipients to study abroad, engage in research and graduate with little or no debt. New York state students entering STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) are eligible for consideration, with priority given to high-achieving students with significant financial need.

The Summer Research Institute

Accepted students will receive a stipend and room and board to engage in a rigorous laboratory-based summer research experience supporting year-round knowledge building. Working closely with a faculty mentor matched to their academic interests and career goals, Possibility Scholars will exercise critical thinking skills and enter valuable professional relationships for the future.

The Global Laboratory

Possibility Scholars will receive support for an international experience. Scholars will benefit from a holistic learning experience that will provide practice working across borders and time zones to solve real-world problems such as mitigating climate change, controlling emerging diseases, reducing extreme poverty, developing sustainable energy resources, and wisely managing water and food systems. Being embedded in an international community will help develop richer understanding and creative ideas for building a better world.

Financial assistance

The Possibility Scholarship will be applied in coordination with any other grants or scholarships awarded to assure each Possibility Scholar receives full financial support for tuition, mandatory fees, room and board for four years at SUNY Oswego. Our aim is to remove all financial barriers to a college education.

Eligibility

To be considered for the Possibility Scholars program, all applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Be a resident of New York state.
  • Complete an application for admission to SUNY Oswego as a freshman for the fall.
  • Obtain a Possibility Scholarship nomination/letter of recommendation from an educator at your school. This nomination should speak to your accomplishments in STEM subjects, including any special projects you’ve completed, and your potential to succeed in a STEM field in college.
  • Be admitted to a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) major.*
  • Demonstrate high potential for success in a STEM field based on your school grades and SAT or ACT scores.
  • Complete the FAFSA.
  • Must live in a residence hall on the SUNY Oswego campus all four years.

*Preference is given to first-generation college students

Eligible majors include
  • Adolescence Education Biology
  • Adolescence Education Chemistry
  • Adolescence Education Earth Science
  • Adolescence Education Mathematics
  • Adolescence Education Physics
  • Biochemistry
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Cognitive Science
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Geochemistry
  • Geology
  • Information Science
  • Mathematics
  • Mathematics, Applied
  • Mathematical Economics, Applied
  • Meteorology
  • Physics
  • Software Engineering
  • Technology Education
  • Technology Management
  • Zoology

SUNY Oswego’s Co-op program, the first multi-departmental Co-op program in the SUNY system, allows you to create a work-integrated learning experience that enhances your academic studies and career development plans. In a Co-op, students enter a paid, full-time, long-term (12 weeks to 26 weeks) employment opportunity in a mutually beneficial partnership between the student, an institution and an employer.

Because the Co-op placement is a non-credit educational program, students do not pay tuition for this program. Prior to Co-op, students participate in an accredited Professional Skills Preparatory course which provides and prepares students with a  career development curriculum and a variety of resources. Topics include career planning and assessment, market research and job search essentials, resume and interview preparation, professional dress and workplace etiquette, and more while drawing on classroom and workplace experiences to achieve academic learning and career development goals.

Eligibility

To be eligible, students need to:

  • Apply and be accepted to SUNY Oswego;
  • Meet all SUNY Oswego Presidential Scholarship criteria;
  • Commit to participate and meet all SUNY Oswego Co-op program criteria;
  • Matriculate into one of the Co-op majors below:
            Accounting
            Biochemistry
            Business Administration
            Chemistry
            Computer Science
            Electrical and Computer Engineering
            Finance
            Human Resource Management
            Marketing
            Software Engineering
    * If awarded, a Co-op Scholarship will replace your Presidential Scholarship.

Apply

Freshmen entering SUNY Oswego in the fall term can apply to one of twenty, $6,000, renewable merit Co-op Scholarships (up to $24,000 for four years). Applicants must apply to and be accepted to SUNY Oswego. Once accepted, applicants can submit the Co-op scholarship application here by using their SUNY Oswego application portal login information. 

For additional information email co-op@oswego.edu.

Under ROTC, students are able to receive a competitive, merit-based scholarship, covering all or part of college tuition, in return for active military service after graduation. ROTC students attend college classes while receiving basic military and officer training for their chosen branch of service through the ROTC unit at or nearby the college.

There are many scholarships available from private and non-profit institutions or organizations based on your skills and interests. 

Here are additional links to some private scholarships and searches: